From LaBelle, Florida for Hendry and Glades County and the Lake Okeechobee region. Don Browne, editor.

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Seniors Get Help In Rural Counties

LABELLE, FL. -- More than 200 Hendry and Glades seniors are receiving boxes of nutritious food each month after enrolling in the Commodity Supplemental Food Program coordinated by Hope Connections, the state-appointed Lead Agency for Aging Services in Hendry and Glades Counties, and their community partners, Harry Chapin Food Bank of Southwest Florida and United Way of Lee, Hendry, Glades and Okeechobee Counties.

Through the program, seniors will receive a box of canned fruits and vegetables, juice, dry beans, rice, peanut butter, cereal and other food from the U.S. Department of Agriculture at monthly distributions at the partner agencies including Hope Connections Centers in Moorehaven and Clewiston, the United Way House in LaBelle, and Harlem Garden Apartments in Clewiston.

“The Hope Connections program serves as a safety net for those who need our help,” said Samira K. Beckwith, president and CEO of Hope HealthCare Services. “Partnerships with other organizations, as well as donations, help Hope Connections meet the increasing community need and address senior hunger in Hendry and Glades counties.

Hope Connections, a program of Hope HealthCare Services that provides at-home senior support, provides more than 25,000 meals each year to underprivileged seniors in Hendry and Glades counties through home delivery and social meal centers. The program also offers services such as transportation to pharmacies and grocery stores as well travel to and from the Connections Centers. Light housekeeping and counseling is also provided.

The Harry Chapin Food Bank solicits, collects and stores quality food for distribution to families in need through a network of 150 nonprofit agencies in Lee, Collier, Hendry, Charlotte and Glades counties that provide food to more than 30,000 people monthly. Over 1 million pounds of food are distributed by the Harry Chapin Food Bank monthly. For each $1 donated, the food bank can distribute $6 worth of food and groceries. Last fiscal year, the Harry Chapin Food Bank distributed 18.4 million pounds of food and other grocery items valued at $31.1 million. This is roughly the equivalent of 15.3 million meals to people in need.

For more information about supporting Hope Connections, call 239-482-4673. Individuals or groups interested in volunteering to help at the monthly distribution points can call863-675-1576 for more information.